Over 350 people were arrested for their involvement in the violence at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of East Jerusalem, Israel.
Israeli police officers said in a statement they were arrested for throwing stones at a mosque while wearing masks.
A police spokesman said they broke the law with stones in hand and also carried explosives. He explained that the police were forced to enter the mosque to maintain law and order. He said there may have been an attempted attack on the mosque, targeting worshipers sitting during namaz. He said immediate action was taken to prevent the violence.
AFP journalists in Jerusalem reported that clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque have been ongoing since Wednesday morning. They said the mosque was attacked by militants from the Palestinian group Hamas. Hamas has also called on its workers to appear en masse in the mosque. During the holy month of Ramadan, thousands of believers come to al-Aqsa mosque to pray.
After the clashes in al-Aqsa mosque, several rockets were fired into Israeli territory from the northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said five rockets fired from Gaza were intercepted by the country’s air defense system and four others fell in unpopulated areas.
(With inputs from agencies)
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